Apparatus for producing a tobacco rod



Jan. 2l, 1969A K. KORBER ET AL APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A TOBACCO ROD Sheet Original Filed Dec. 28, 1959 Jan. 21, 1969 K, KORBER ET Al.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A TOBACCO ROD Uriginal Filed Deo.

INVENTORB JAA.l 21, 1969 Sheet Driginal Filed Dec.

Jan. 2l, 1969 K. KORBER ET A'- 3,422,820

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A TOBACCO -ROD v Original Filed Dec.

Jan. 2l, 1969 K, KORBER ET AL 3,422,820

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A TOBACCO ROD Original Filed Dec. 28, 1959 Sheet 5 of INVENTORS United States Patent O 2 Claims ABSTRACT F' THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for producing a wrapped tobacco rod cornprises a first conveyor which is provided with a groove for advancing a tobacco stream and which comprises a foraminous member forming the bottom wall of the groove, a suction chamber for drawing a current of air across the tobacco stream in the groove and through the foraminous member to compress the tobacco stream against the foraminous member, a second conveyor which feeds tobacco into the groove to form the stream, a mechanical compressing device which compresses tobacco in the groove so that the tobacco stream undergoes mechanical and pneumatic compression, a trimming device for equalizing the mechanically and pneumatically compressed stream by removing surplus tobacco whereby the thus trimmed stream forms a filler rod, a third conveyor for receiving the filer rod from the rst conveyor, and a wrapping device for applying a wrapper to the filler rod on the third conveyor.

This is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 862,386, led Dec. 28, 1959, now patent No. 3,261,364, issued July 19, 1966.

The present invention relates to cigarette making machines in general, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for transforming loose tobacco into a continuous tobacco rod.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for producing a continuous tobacco rod having a high degree of uniformity in cross section and in weight. Such tobacco rods are utilized in the production of continuous cigarette rods by wrapping tobacco filler rods into strips or webs of cigarette paper, the cigarette rods so produced being then severed to form cigarettes of requisite length.

The method of the present invention comprises forming a continuous travelling stream of tobacco which may have and usually has an uneven cross section, supplying additional quantities of tobacco to the stream, and then removing excess tobacco from the stream at a point downstream of the point of admission of such additional quantities to form a tobacco rod of uniform cross section which is ready to be wrapped into cigarette paper.

In the production of a cigarette rod the levelled tobacco stream meets a strip of cigarette paper and the tobacco stream and the paper are then moved through a conventional rod-forming device which wraps the tobacco rod within the cigarette paper to form a continuous cigarette rod which is thereafter cut into cigarette lengths.

A tobacco rod of these properties and produced according to the present invention has a high degree of uniformity between any spaced portions containing additional tobacco and cigarettes cut from a cigarette rod produced from such a rod have a high degree of uniformity in weight.

Patented Jan. 21, 1969 ICC The features o-f the present invention are shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of an apparatus which comprises a suction wheel;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a second apparatus which constitutes a modification of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view as seen from the lefthand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another mode of forming a tobacco rod of constant cross section;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a third apparatus which may be used to produce a tobacco rod in a manner as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational View of a dual suction wheel which is utilized in the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary radial section through the dual suction wheel of FIG. 5;

FIG. `8 is a side elevational view of a modified trimming device which may be utilized in the apparatus of our invention;

FIG. 9 is an end elevational View of the trimming device shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. l0 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the dual suction wheel substantially as seen from the right-hand side of FIG. 5;

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary end elevational view of a modified dual wheel which cooperates with a modied trimming device, a portion of the wheel being shown in radial section;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary end elevational view of another portion of the dual wheel shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of an apparatus which embodies the dual wheel of FIGS. l1 and 12, certain parts of the apparatus bein-g broken away and certain other parts being shown in vertical section;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a suction conveyor which may be utilized to transfer a tobacco rod from the suction wheel to a rod forming mechanism; and

FIG. l5 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section through the drive for the dual wheel of the apparatus shown in FIG. 13.

Various constructional forms of apparatus embodying the features of this invention lwill be explained with reference to the constructions shown in the accompanying drawings in which in every case a distributor 15 is adjusted to supply precisely the quantity of tobacco required to form the rod used for making the cigarettes.

FIG. l shows an underfeed machine where the tobacco is showered from a distributor 15 upon an endless belt 1f guided over support rollers 171, 18f of which the roller 18f is positioned adjacent a rotary Wheel 19jt having a grooved periphery so that the belt 1f -meets the lower peripheral part of the wheel 191. A stream of tobacco 2f formed on the belt 1f by the action of the distributor 15 is transferred into the groove of the wheel 19f and moves through approximately one half of the perimeter of the wheel 191i, subsequently leaving the groove at a higher level. The stream of tobacco formed on the belt 1f and transferred to the groove of the wheel 19jC may exhibit certain irregularities and the high portions are trimmed off by means of a cutting or trimming device 7f which consists of a rotating cutter disc. The tobacco rod 21f leaving the upper portion of the wheel 19)c is of uniform cross-section and weight. This rod leaves the wheel 19)c over a bridge 22 and then meets a cigarette paper strip 23 which is supported by a forming belt 24 which causes the paper strip 23 and the tobacco rod 21f thereon to move through a conventional cigarette rod-forming devide 25, which results in the enclosure of the tobacco rod 21f in the paper strip 23 to form a `continuous cigarette rod 26 which thereafter is cut into cigarette lengths. The tobacco removed by the trimming device 7 f is collected by a pneumatic conveyor device 27f having a collecting funnel 28 to receive the tobacco which is then delivered through a delivery -member 29f into the downwardly moving portion of the groove of the wheel 19f, namely at a point in advance of the point where the stream 2f enters the groove.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an arrangement generally similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but in place of using the pneumatic conveyor means 27f for receiving the tobacco removed by the action of the cutting or trimming device 7f an endless conveyor device 29 is used. This conveyor device may comprise an endless carding belt and it may be positioned somewhat obliquely as indicated in FIG. 3, to tobacco being removed from the carding belt by means of a spiked wheel 30 or the like and distributed upon the surface of the tobacco stream 2g carried by the endless conveyor belt lg. In this case the tobacco is received from the trimming device 7g by means of an obliquely positioned guide chute 31 which delivers the removed tobacco on to the carding belt.

In FIGS. l and 2 a rotary wheel 19j is employed to raise the tobacco stream to a higher level and the tobacco stream is subjected to a trimming operation while moving upwardly and along the periphery -of the wheel. It is desirable to provide suction means within the confines of the rotary wheel for holding the tobacco stream in the groove. For this purpose the wheel is rotatable with respect to a stationary internal suction chamber defined by radial walls 32 and 33 so that a portion of the periphery between the walls 32 and 33 where the tobacco stream is in contact with the wheel is retained by suction. Removal of the tobacco rod from the periphery of the wheel is assisted by means of compressed air delivered through the uppermost portion of the periphery of the wheel between the radial walls 34 and 34a of a compressed air duct which constitutes a stripping means for the tobacco rod.

If desired the suction means can be rendered inoperative along that section of the groove which is adjacent the trimming device 7. This can be achieved by providing the suction chamber with additional radial walls 35 and 35a between the radial walls 32 and 33. Outward movement of the tobacco stream between the walls 35 and 35a is prevented if the trimming device 7g is constructed as indicated in FIG. 3 or 11. This trimming device comprises a pair of interengaging star wheels 36 and a rotary cutter disc 37 which overlies the star wheels.

In another mode of carrying out the invention which is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 4 and in a practical form in FIG. 5, the rotary wheel 191' is provided with two parallel disposed circumferential grooves 191, 192 (see FIG. 6), the former is used for receiving the tobacco stream 2i in the same way as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 while the second groove 192 provides the return path for the tobacco removed from the surface of the tobacco stream travelling in the first groove by the action of a trimming or levelling device which in this case is shown as consisting of an obliquely positioned brush 38. It will be noted with reference to FIG. 4 that the incoming stream 21' of tobacco containing the quantity of tobacco required to form the desired rod section is fed to the feed wheel 191' and the surface portions of said stream comprising the irregularities thereof are formed into a branch stream 39 which travels along the part of the periphery between the outgoing rod 211' and the incoming tobacco stream 21' This branch stream of tobacco 39 is spread onto and mingles with the upper surface of the tobacco stream 21' moving towards the wheel 191l and comes to lie between the stream and the wheel, that is on the opposite surface of the stream to that which has the irregularities, which latter are subjected to the levelling or trimming action at the point 40,

Referring now to the construction of the machine shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, it will be noted that a shower of tobacco is delivered by the distributor 15 upon the surface of an endless travelling belt 11' which feeds the stream of tobacco 2i toward the first groove 191 of the wheel 1917 the conveyor belt 11' `being guided in an endless path over suitable supporting rollers 171', 181' and 201' positioned so as to cause the belt 1i to engage a small peripheral portion of the wheel 191' and to ensure the transfer of the stream 21' into the groove of the wheel 191' where it is retained by suction in a manner already explained with reference to FIGS. l and 2. A suction chamber defined by the space between the radial vwalls 331' and 321' in the zone of the wheel receiving the tobacco stream 21' serves to hold said tobacco stream in the first groove 191 of the rotary wheel 191' (see also FIG. 6). Conveniently and as shown, the suction action terminates shortly before the rotary cylindrical brush 38, serving as the levelling or trimming device, is operative so that the tobacco is permitted to expand substantially to its uncompressed condition befort it is subjected to he levelling operation lby the brush 38. Alternatively the chamber defined by the radial walls 331' and 42 may extend up to the point where the tobacco rod leaves the top part of the wheel 191'. Likewise a compressed air delivery chamber similar to 34 in FIG. 1 may be utilized to assist in the discharge of tobacco stream `from the wheel.

If desired and -as shown in FIG. 5, a perforated endless belt 44 may be positioned above the take-off point for the tobacco rod 211l and a suction box 45 positioned within the space encircled by the belt 44 above the lower stretch 44a may be used to exert an upwardly directed holding action upon the tobacco rod 2li to assist its removal from the peripheral groove 191in the wheel 19i.

As best shown in FIG. 6 the second groove 192 in the rotary wheel 191' receives the tobacco swept from the tobacco stream carried in the first groove 191 and carries the trimmed portion of tobacco into the path indicated yby 39 in FIG. 4. The bristles of the brush 38 induce a current of air, and said Ibrush is so positioned that the induced current causes the removed tobacco to move in the direction towards the second groove 192. Suction is operative in this groove over that portion of the circumference thereof arranged `between the brush 38 and the radial wall 43 in FIG. 5 so that the tobacco received in the groove 192 by the action of the rotary brush 38 is retained in said groove and is subsequently collected by a. suitably positioned deflector member 46 and transferred into the rst groove 191 as shown in FIG. l0, the transferred tobacco being then held by suction in the first groove 191 at a point shortly before the point where the tobacco stream 2i is pressed into the groove 191 |by the action of the endless conveyor belt 11'.

The tobacco rod 211' removed from the groove 191 by the action of suction on the lower horizontal stretch 44a of the perforated belt 44 and the suction box 45 is placed upon a paper strip 23 suitably guided into the cigarette rod making machine and also supported by the usual tobacco rod forming endless belt 24 which moves the paper strip 23 `and the tobacco rod 211' through a cigarette rod forming device 25, the finished cigarette rod being shown at 26.

FIG. 7 shows in section a portion of the rotary wheel 19i. It will be noted that the first groove 191 includes a bottom surface formed by a perforated annular metallic wall 48. The section shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the position Where the rotary brush 38 is located, and it will be observed that any high portions of the tobacco stream located in the groove 191 are swept in the direction indicated by the arcuate arrow 49 into the second groove 192. The latter `is defined on one side by an annulus 51 of perforated metal enclosed .by a casing member 52 providing a suction box which maintains a suction over that part of the side wall of the groove 192 where the tobacco is to be conveyed from the receiving point formed by the rotary brush 38 to the delivery point formed by the tobacco deflector 46.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternative to the rotary brush 38 formed in this case by an endless belt 53 positioned obliquely relatively to the circumference of the wheel 191' and serving to transfer tobacco from the first gro-ove 191 into the second groove 192 Iby the action of the induced current of air. It will be understood that in all embodiments of our invention wherein -a rotary brush 38 or an endless belt 53 is employed, such combined trimming and transferring devices not only induce a current of air lbut they also serve as a means for mechanically moving tobacco particles into the path in which the tobacco particles return toward the tobacco stream. The combined trimming and transferring device 38 or 53 is particularly useful in such tobacco processing machines in which the trimming or levelling operation is carried out while the tobacco stream is held in the groove 191 by suction. If the tobacco stream is not held by suction during the trimming or levelling operation it is often advisable to employ trimming means of the type shown in FIG. 3. The star wheels 36 hold the particles of tobacco during trimming so that the trimming operation does not iaffect the distribution of tobacco particles in the groove of the wheel.

FIGS. ll to 13 and l5 show further modifications applicable to a construction of the character shown in FIGS. 4 to l0 employing a rotary wheel 19k having adjacently positioned grooves 191k, 192k. In the FIGS. 1l to 13 and l5 the tobacco transferred into the second groove 192k as a result of the action of the trimming or levelling device is retained in said groove by mechanical means, in particular by the arrangement of a spiked or carded surface in said groove. Furthermore, the second groove 192k forms an independent Wheel unit which is caused to rotate at a substantially slower speed than the other part of the wheel provided with the first groove 191k.

As shown in FIG. 13, a construction is employed which is similar to that shown in FIG. 5 in that the tobacco is showered by a distributor 15 upon the surface of an endless belt 11' supported by guide rollers 171', 18i and 201' positioned so that the tobacco stream 2z' formed on the surface of the belt 11' is pressed into the first groove 191k where it is held by suction by the action of a suction chamber formed between the radial walls 33k and 35k. In this embodiment the trimming step is performed by means of a rotary cutter disc 37 (FIG. ll) cooperating with a pair of interengaging star wheels 36 as already explained in connection with FIG. 3, the suction being rendered ineffective along the trimming station in the zone between the radial walls 35k and 35k', which zone divides the suction chamber into two sections lying respectively between the radial walls 33k and 35k and between the radial walls 32k and 35k'. Removal of the tobacco rod 21 is facilitated by the provision of a compressed air channel formed between the radial walls 34k and 34k. The tobacco rod as shown in FIG. 14 may alternatively be removed from the groove 191k by a perforated belt 44 and a suctio nbox 45 as also explained in connection with FIG. 5, or as shown in FIG. 13 a bridge or doctor member 55 can be provided. As in the previous embodiments the outgoing tobacco rod 21 meets a paper strip 23 and the latter and the rod are supported by an endless forming belt 24 which conveys these components through a rod-forming device 25 to form the finished cigarette rod 26.

As already stated the groove 192k is arranged in a separate wheel 193 which is caused to rotate at a slower speed than the wheel 19k and is provided with points or barbs in the manner of a carding belt on its base surface to receive tobacco removed by the action of the elements 36, 37 as a result of the trimming or levelling of the tobacco stream in the channel 191k. This removed tobacco is defiected into the groove 192k by means of a suitable guide member 58 and is carried around said groove 192k up to the point where it is stripped from the groove by the action of a picker roll or rotary brush 59. A suitably positioned defiector 61 shown in FIG. 12 serves to divert the tobacco removed from the groove 192k by the member 59 onto the surface of the tobacco stream 2i before it moves into the groove 191k.

FIG. l5 shows the construction and drive of the wheel 19k and its associated parts. The main part of the wheel 19k including the peripheral groove 191k therein, the bottom of which is formed by a perforated screen 48k and through which suction is transmitted, is provided with radial passages 62 leading to a stationary suction box 63 by means of a connecting passage 62k so that suction will be exerted in desired peripheral zones between the radial walls 32k and 35k and also between the radial walls 35k and 33k as shown in FIG. 13. The outer part 193 of the wheel which is provided with the groove 192k comprises a barbed bottom wall and is supported on a shaft 70 rotatable within a sleeve 63k carrying the wheel 19k proper. The sleeve 63k carries fixedly thereon a gear wheel 64 meshing with a gear 65 integrally formed with a gear wheel 67 meshing with a driver gear 68 fixedly mounted on the shaft 70, the twin gear wheels 65, 67 being mounted on a stub shaft 69 fixed to the frame of the machine. The gear 68 is driven by a suitable motor or another source of power and drives the shaft 70 which in turn drives the wheel 193 at a first speed. The gears 67, 65 which are driven by the gear 68 transmit motion to the gear 64 which drives the wheel 19k at a second speed higher than the speed of the wheel 193.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 13 and l5 operates as follows: The tobacco delivered by the distributor 15 at an average rate corresponding to the desired cigarette rod 26 forms a tobacco stream on the endless belt 1i. This tobacco stream is pressed into the groove 191k of the wheel 19k and is retained therein by suction. As the tobacco stream carried in the groove 191k passes the trimming or levelling device 36, 37, the suction holding action is preferably discontinued and the tobacco trimmed olf the surface of the tobacco stream in the groove 191k is transferred into the second groove 192k, the remainder of the tobacco stream which is of uniform cross-section and of vconstant density then forming the tobacco rod 21 which is wrapped into the paper strip 23 to form the cigarette rod 26.

The tobacco removed by the trimming device 36, 37 is transferred into the second and slower moving groove 192k of the wheel 193 and is removed therefrom by the action of the picker member 59 (FIG. 13), and is then spread over the surface of the tobacco stream 2i just before it is pressed into the groove 191k.

In all the embodiments described means may be provided for measuring the amount of removed tobacco, such as the tobacco in the groove 192k of the rotary wheel in FIGS. 1l to 13 and l5, or the tobacco in the stream 2f on the conveyor belt 1f in FIG. 1, or the tobacco in the stream on the endless belt 29 in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, additional means may be provided for measuring the finished tobacco rod or cigarette rod and for controlling the action of the trimming or levelling devices 7f, 7g, 38, 53, for instance, by advancing or retracting these devices more or less from the surface of the tobacco stream or rod. The measuring means may be the same as or similar to that disclosed in the copending application of Willy Richter, Ser. No. 110,561, filed May 16, 1961.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for producing a wrapped tobacco rod, irst conveyor means having an elongated groove for advancing a stream of tobacco and comprising a oraminous member forming the bottom wall of said groove, said conveyor means further comprising a suction chamber adjacent to said foraminous member opposite said groove for drawing `a current of air across the tobacco stream and for thereby compressing the tobacco stream against said foraminous member; second conveyor means for feeding tobacco in excess of that required to produce said rod into said groove whereby the tobacco thus fed forms said stream;` mechanical compressing means for compressing the tobacco stream in said groove so that the action of said mechanical compressing means is superimposed upon the compressing action of said air current; trimming means for equalizing the tobacco stream by removing surplus tobacco to thus convert the tobacco stream into a filler rod, said trimming means being located downstream of said mechanical compressing means; third conveyor means for receiving the filler rod from said rst conveyor means; and wrapping means for wrapping the ller rod on said third conveyor means.

2. A method of manipulating tobacco in the production of Wrapped tobacco rods, comprising the steps of conveying a stream containing tobacco particles in excess applying a wrapper around the iiller rod to form a Wrapped tobacco rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 722,74-6 3/ 1903 Paul 131-84 1,709,299 4/1929 Bargeboer 131-84 1,808,795 6/1931 Stelzer.

2,660,178 11/1953 Rault 131--84 2,969,104 11/1961 Schubert et al.

3,030,966 4/1962 Lanore 131-84 3,074,413 1/ 1963 McArthur 131-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,041 10/1929 Germany.

286,421 3/1928 Great Britain.

445,044 4/ 1936 Great Britain.

JOSEPR S. REICH, Primary Examiner.

, U.S. Cl. X.R. 131-84. 

